Some of the smallest marine species are actually the most important because all other life depends on them. Phytoplankton are probably the most important, but just above them in the food chain are zooplankton. In Norway's cold Atlantic waters, the zooplankton in question is generally a small copepod called Calanus finmarchicus. Researchers have now investigated how Calanus copepods react to rising temperatures and changing access to food. Calanus copepods thrive best in cold waters. There is strong evidence that the species has already started migrating northwards because the ocean has become warmer. Given that the planet's average temperature is rising, this news is not very encouraging. The paper is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

I think they are very cool and wish more people knew about them

Location: Anilao, Philippines

Almost ethereal in its translucency, a juvenile wunderpus octopus is surrounded by a variety of small zooplankton, such as larval shrimps, crabs and worms.

Jialing Cai

[100x Magnification]

inspected some more deceased Daphnia underneath the microscope today, and saw this little hungry bastard - around 10-20 μm in length and actively eating the carcass and little tidbits around it. I'm thinking it's some kind of rotifer? but its sooo small. baby rotifer? I could watch these little things for hours. Look at his little "tails"!